Find your new beginnings…

From the Jack’s Winning Words blog today comes this little saying from Fred Rogers – “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”

Our kids grew up watching Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood and they’re the better for it, I believe. Fred never talked down to the children; but, instead, he took the time to explain things to them, like how to be a friend.

Today’s quote is another way of putting another old saying – “when one door closes another door opens”. Life is full of things coming to an end, often not a happy one. A competition ends without a win, a relationship ends, a job is lost, a loved one passes away. We notice those endings, but often don’t see that something else has begun at the same time. Perhaps it is just difficult to see through the tears of the moment; or maybe we are consumed by the sense of loss of what just ended.

It is in moments like these, when life has thrown something unexpected at you, something that is hard to deal with, that we must find comfort and peace in our faith. In those moments of fear and sadness we can feel alone, isolated from those who are not experiencing what we are going through. It is important in those moments to be able to reach out to God, who never leaves us, and ask His help to carry on. There are things that we cannot and will not ever “understand”; so, we must ask instead for the faith and strength to just accept them and move on.

Once you find that strength in your faith, you can turn your attention to what God has in mind for you next, to what “beginning of something else” has just opened up for you. Maybe it’s that new person that you just met who could become significant in your life; maybe it’s that new job with its learning challenges; maybe it’s aiming for the next competition and trying to learn from your shortfall in the last one. Whatever it is; take time to thank God for giving you new purpose and new reasons for living. You’re now at the beginning of something new in your life and that’s exciting.